Ash tray



June 2, 1942. K w. A. RosEN'BE'RGER 2285.330

ASHTRAY Filed April 23,- y1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jne 2, 1942. .w. A.RosENBr-:RGER 2,235,350

ASHTRAY Filed April 23. 1946 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rwembo/o WIW/am A.Rosepbezjyer' PatenteiclJune 2, 1942 UNIT-ED, STATES PATENT OFFICE i2,285,360 i I. i y

ASH TRAY William A. Rosenberger, Hagerstown, Md. Applicatipn `April 23,1949, serial 331247' l riclaims. (c1. isi- 240) The present inventionrelatestov ash trays for receiving cigar and `cigarette ashes andV-temporarily supporting cigars and cigarettes while smoking.- Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a novel ash traystructure for It is a' further object of this invention to pro- `vide anash tray with a support capable of supporting a cigar o r cigarettewithin the confines of an ash tray yet out of contact with the ashes.

safely supporting a lighted cigar or cigarette to.

prevent damage resulting from accidental dislodgement ofv the cigar orcigarette and to sup- Dort them in such a manner that their unlightedends will remain sanitary and clean.

The ash trays now on the market are provided with curved depressions orformations of other suitable character `for receiving and supportingburning cigars or cigarettes. These supportsv engage the cigar orcigarette intermediate its ends and are usually .placed on theperipheralV rim of the ash receiverp As a consequence, a cigar orcigarette balanced on the support overhangs the support at both endsand,` if permitted toy continue` burning, the overhanging time cause thecigar or cigarette to fall upon the table top or cover upon which theash receiver `is placed and burn the table, or table cover, and in someinstances start serious lires. If, on the other hand, the cigar orcigarette is placed with its burning end in the ash tray and theunlighted end against the peripheral wall, the cigar or cigarette mayroll into the ash receiving bowl and be covered with ashes or theportion engaging the smokers lips may contact an area on the peripheralwall where cold or other germs have collected from `the cigars orcigarettes of other smokers. Y e

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to providea safetyash tray adapted to eliminate the sources of disease anddamageprevalent in present commercial ash re ceptacles.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an ash receiverwith a` supporting device which will prevent a cigar or cigarette fromfalling onto the' supporting table or table cover when it is forgottenandallowed'to continue burning.

Itis a further object of this invention to pro-l vide an ash tray with asupport adapted to temporarily supporta cigar or cigarette while it isbeing smoked and positively prevent 'its dislodgement from the ash trayif inadvertently left burning.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ash tray designedto assure retention of a burning cigarette until itV has been completelyconsumed. Y

Y weight of the unlighted end will in the course of Another object ofthe present invention is to provide an ash tray for'supp'ortng a cigaror cigarette in such a manner that the lip engaging portions aremaintained out of contact wit contaminated surfaces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ash trayof simple construction capable of preventing damage caused by f orgottencigarettes.

Other objects will appear fromthe appended along lines 2-2 of Figure 1andillustrating the manner of placing the cigarette in the support.Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional View looking into the end of thesupport of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4vis airagmental sectional view, illustrating a modified form ofthe present invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmental plan view of the modcation shown in Figure 4. 1e

Figure 6 isa fragmental sectional View of a ash tray like that ofFigures i and 5 but made in two parts. v

Figure 7 is a plan view of a further modified form of the presentinvention.

, Figure is "asectional View taken on lines 8-8 of Figure 7.

#Figure 9 is a plan view'illustrating a sheetl metal ash tray embodyingtheA form of Figures 'l and 8. f

Figure 10 is an end view of the sheet metal ash tray shown in Figure 9.

' Figure 11 is a sectional 'viewtaken on lines Il-llo'iFigurell.V .L

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a fragment of the cigarettesupporting member of Figures 9,

' 10 and 11.

- Figure 13 isa fragmental sectionalview show` ing a different manner ofattaching'l the member jof Figure 12`to the ashreceptacl ofFigures 9wherein like reference characters are` utilized throughout the severalgures of the drawings to designate the same part, numeral l5 designatesgenerally an ash tray embodying the present invention,

Ash tray I5 preferably consists of a pressed cr die cast metal ashreceiving bowl or receptacle I6 having an upstanding peripheral wall I1.Wall I1 at one or more points along the upper edge is provided withmetal shelves or cigarette supports I8. In this form of the invention,support I9 is of generally circulate form in crosssection and isillustrated as a separate member secured in any suitable manner, such asspot welding, in a notch |9.formed in the upper edge of wall I1. SupportI8 at its outermost end is closed by wall 2| and is provided with anoverhanging rim- 22. The side walls of support I8 are notched at 23toenable a cigarette to be grasped so as to place it in position on thesupvunlighted end in contact with protuberance 33,

the cigarette is in eect suspended between saddle 28a and protuberance33.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that protuberance 33 contactsthe tobacco at the end of the cigarette and that the portion of the endengaging the smokers lips does not Contact any surface which may containashes or germs. As a consequence, the present modication provides asanitary ash tray of extreme hygienic appeal. Furthermore, this hygienicfeature is equally applicable to the support of cigars by suitable al- Yterations of the dimensions of the saddle and the port'and remove it asdesired. The free ends H `of the side walls are bent outwardly at 24 toprovide a flared mouth to guide the cigarette into the support I8 andeliminate any sharp edges which might tear the cigarette.

VWhile the form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 is described as ametal ash tray with a separately attached support, it is to beunderstood that any suitable material such as glass, porcelain,plastics, etc., may be used and that supports I8 may be integrallyformed on wall I1.

In use, a `cigarette is placed on support I8 in position A and pushed inthe direction of the it so that it cannot accidentally be dislodged fromthe ash tray and fall upon the table, table cover, floor or rug anddamage them or start a destructive re.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5wherein the same reference characters are used to designate the sameparts. A molded ash tray I5a made from glass, porcelain, syntheticplastic or the like is illustrated. In this modification, the cigaretteis supported by a saddle or support 28a carried by a pair of spaced ribsor Webs 29 formed on the upstanding wall I1. The ribs and saddle arepreferably of such length that the distance C is slightly in excess ofone-half the length of a cigarette solas to prevent tilting of a newcigarette into the ash tray. YSupport 28a is provided with an upwardlyfacing groove 3| designed to receive a portion of the body of thecigarette and prevent it from rolling off the support. Groove 3|, asclearly y shown in Figure 4, is spaced a slight distance above the uppersurface of ribs 29 so that the cigarette rests. on'support 28a with itslighted end overhanging Vthe ash receiver and the unlighted endoverhanging the space or slot 32 between ribs 29. In order to preventthe overhanging weight of the unlighted end of a partially" Y burnedcigarette from rdislodging the cigarette,

protuberance.

In the event that a lighted cigarette is left upon support 23a, it willburn until the lighted end burns past end 34 of saddle 28a. When thisoccurs, the cigarette will drop through slot 32 into the ashreceiving'bowl and burn itself out where no damage can be done.

If desired, the ash tray of Figures 4 and 5 may be made in two parts asshown in Figure 6. In lieu of spaced ribs 29, the Wall I1 of this ashtray |51) is provided with an inwardly extending annular rim 35. Theinner periphery of rim 35, on its underside, is provided with an annularflange 36 designed to receive a ring-shaped element 31 carrying saddles28h. To this end, element 31 is provided with an annular flange 38 whichcooperates with flange 36 to removably support element 31 within theconnes of wall I1. At suitable points around rim 31, short inwardlyextending ribs or webs 39 are provided for supporting saddles 28h.

As clearly shown in Figure 6, the groove 3|, knob 33, rim 31 and ribs 39bear the same relation one to the other, as pointed out in connectionwith Figures 4 and 5. The cigarette, therefore, is supported in asanitary manner. The

, principal advantage of this form of the invention lies in the abilityto remove element 31 and the integral saddles 28h so that the bowl I8may be readily cleaned, particularly at points beneath ribs 39 yandsaddles 28h. In lieu of slots 32, the

5 upper surfaces of rim 35, element 31 and ribs 39 may be curved orslightly inclined so that the burning stub of a cigarette will fall intobowl I6 c when the cigarette burns beyond end 34 of saddle 28h,

A further modication of this invention is shown in Figures 7 and 8. Inthis form of the invention, ash tray I5c comprises an ash receiving bowlor receptacle 4| formed of a molded plastic material or die cast metal.Bowl 4I is provided with an upstanding peripheral Wall 42 having widenotches 43 designed to support a cigar as shown in Figure '1. The upperedge of wall 42 is of insuincient width to support a cigar or cigaretteso that they must be inclined into the ash tray in the event that asmoker inadvertently or through perversity fails to utilize the sanitarysupports provided by this invention. This feature definitely preservesthe iire or burn prevention features of this invention, even though auser fails to avail himself of the sanitary supports provided. In thisconnection, it should be understoodthat a cigar will not continue toburn after it is laid aside but will promptly go out so that when it isplaced in the ash tray as shown in Figure 7 there is no danger of itburning down and falling from the ash tray.

The bottom 44 of bowl 4I is provided with one or more hollow upwardlyextending tapered posts, or saddles 45, the upper surface of which 1sprovided with a groove 46 for receiving a cigarette. In alignment'withgroove 46, and extending outwardly from each end thereof, is anoutwardly tapering' shelf or wing 41. The upper surfaces of shelves 41are in the plane of the bottom of groove 46 andcooperate therewith tosupport a cigarette. i

Wall 42 at suitable points adjacent vits upper end and in alignment withthe longitudinal center line of a cigarette reposing in groove 46 isprovided with conical knobs 33. Knobs 33, as shown in Figures 7 and "8,are provided opposite each end of groove 46 and the distance betweenknobs 33 and the adjacent end of groove 46 slightlyexf ,ceeds thedistance between similar points `of the ash trays of Figures 4 to 6.This difference in spacing is due to the location of posts 45 at vthecenter of bowl 4l and makes it necessary to utilize shelves 41 so as toprevent burning cigarettes from falling into the ash tray until they aretoo short for further smoking.

Vcigar or cigarette The centered relation of posts 45 and the optpositely disposed knobs 33 make it possible to use the cigarette holderfrom either side while obtaining the desired sanitary and supportingfeatures of this invention.

Figures 9 to 13 illustrate the application of the double ended saddlefeature of Figures '7 and 8 to a sheet metal ash tray. In these figures,ash tray l5d is illustrated as rectangular in shape and is formed ofrelatively thin sheet metal by suit- Member 52 comprises a single sheetmetal shown in Figure 13 and a slightly longer member 52.@ prende@ witha downwardly extending flange 54g ris, substituted for Vmember 52.Flange 54a is designed to ,lap the outer face of walls 49 and lit snuglyenough to prevent accidental disassem- :bly y0f the two mais vB Tromconsideration iof Figures lrthrough 13 of the drawings, it will beseenthat the various' forms ofthe invention-require some slight degree'ofv cane on the part of the smoker in order to obtain the desiredsanitary benefits. However, it

shouldalso be noted that the fire or damage preventing features of thisinvention are obtained irrespectiveof the personal carelessness of thesmokerl 'Ioreinove this possible failure to `gain the full benefits ofthis invention, thesaddles 28a, 2312,45 or` 45a may bedrasticallyinclined with respect to a horizontal plane to cause a thedesired rosjiiioa Such a structure is shown in Figure 14 of the drawingswherein an ,ash tray 15e like that of a Figures 7 and 8 is illustrated.In this construction, post or `saddle 45h is higher at its left end thanat the right end and a shelf 41a is provided at the lowermost end toprevent the cigarette fromdropping into the `bowl it has beensubstantially burned out. Furthermore, knobs 33a similar to knobs 33 areformed nearer to the bottom of wall 42 and are inclined so that theirprincipal axis coincides with the center line of a cigarette reposing ingroove 4Gb. While the inclined saddle does not permit the use of thesaddle from either side, oppositely inclined saddles` may be formedadjacent-saddle 45h to obtain this result. i

stampingv providing spaced cigarette saddles a and grooves 46a. Member52 is `also provided with shelves 41a provided by the edges ofupstanding walls 53 formed by suitably creasing and folding the sheet`metal blank along the vertical centerline of grooves 46a during thestamping operation. Member 52 at its opposite ends is provided with anupstanding flange 54. The length of member 52 between flanges 54 is Inusing this form of the invention, the cigar- .ette is placed in groove46h with the unlighted end facing downwardly. If the unlighted end 'isnot placed in contact with knob 33a, the cigarette, due to its ownweight, will slide along groove 45?) until the end contacts knob 33.

In the preceding description, the applicability of this invention tocigarettes has been emphasuch that a tight fit results when it is placedwithin bowl 4Ia with'flanges 54 in engagement with the inner surface ofwalls 49. To further secure member 52 in place, tabs 5I Vare spun aroundthe edge of fiange 54 into tight engagement with the inner faces offlanges 54.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, it will be seen that shelves 41a and theends of cigarettes resting in grooves 46a overlie longitudinallyextending spaces 55 formed between the side walls of bowl 4Ia and theedges 'of member 52. It will also be clear that notches 48 are inalignment with these spaces. Due to this construction, the cigarette mayreadily be grasped by the smoker in placing it on or removing it fromgrooves 45a.. Furthermore, member 52-is located at a predetermined levelso that the center line of cigarettes reposing in grooves 46a willcoincide with the major axisof knobs 33 to secure the sanitaryadvantages of this invention.

If` desired, member 52 may be designed for ready removal for purposes ofcleaning ash tray 45d. To accomplish thisend, end walls 49 of bowl 41aare formed without tabs 5| as clearly sized since it is well known thata cigarette will continue burning until consumed while a cigar will go.out. The danger of damage from a forgotten cigarette is, accordingly,greater. This invention, however, by appropriate changes in proportionsof the parts-is equally capable of use with cigars and the specificationand claims wherever the word cigarette is used isintended to includecigars l A The invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Thepresent embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

1. A safety ash tray comprising an ash receiving bowl, a supportingmember carried by said bowl and engaging a portion of a cigaretteintermediate its ends, said supporting member comprising at least onesaddle disposed within the connnes of said vbowl in spaced relationrto fthe bottom of said bowl and having a substan` tially U-shaped groove forreceiving said cigarette and means comprising a protuberance formed tpautomatically gravitate into on the inside of said bowl and disposedsubstantially coaxially with said member and in substantial alignmentwith the longitudinal center line of a cigarette lying in said groovekforV contactying the unlighted end of said cigarette and cooperatingWith said member to removablysupport said cigarette with said end out ofcontact with the ashes in said bowl and tending to prevent itsaccidental dislodgment.

2. A safety ash tray comprisinga bowl shaped ash receiver, means forsupporting a cigarette inin both of said means are within the coniinesof said bowl whereby the possibility of the cigar- 20 ette beingdislodged from its support and damaging the surface supporting said ashtray or starting a lre is eliminated.

4. An 'ash tray comprising an ash receiving bowl, rnea'ns inclined at asubstantial angle to a horizontal plane for engaging said cigaretteintermediate its ends to retain said cigarette in an inclined positionwith its unlighted end lowermost and permit said cigarette to slidedownwardly along said means and means disposed in alignment with saidrst mentioned means for engaging the unlighted end and arresting itssliding motion, both of said means being within I

